Digging and loading machine



Jul 1', 1924,.

P. E. DUTCHER DIGGING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheetil ijvwemroz Jul 1, 1924. 1,499,764

P. E. DUTCHER DIGG ING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 6 Sheets- Sheet 2 P. E. DUTCHER IGGING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1922 v e sheets-sheet 4 95% btom July 1 1924.

" DIGGING AND LDADING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Filed Oct. 6, 1922 VIM: I

:55 A nl llql. I... A

P. E. BUTCHER DIGGING AND LOADINGMACHINE Filed octfe, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet e I. I 1 v ala m 50 Q55: I 3 themachine proper, may be used-for pro.-

"Paa d July 1,1924.

UNITED STATES? PA-TENT" OFFICE.

rmnron'r E. medium,- or 'nrrnn'monrcnam, NEW when.

nrqsnqe noabmo monrnn.

Application filed October Toflall whom it may cmwem: 7

-Be it knojwn that I,-B1nnro1rr.E. DUTCH- ER, a'citizen of the United States, and'resident of UpperMontclair, in the county of .Essex and State of New Jersey, have in- "vented a new and useful Improvement in I Digging and Loading. Machines, of which the following isa specification.

[This invention relates to a digging and loading machine, and has for an ob ect to provide such an apparatus which embodies a pair of elongated arms that are providedwith diggin mechanism and are adapted to be advance into the material in V.-formation. H I

Another objectconsists in providing the diggingarms with chains which carry the digging elements and 4 are actuated in an elongated endless path. A, Another object consists 1n pro'vlding means for adjusting the angularity of the digging arms with res set to each other.

'. Another object consists in arranging the transverse axisof the digging arms at an angle to the horizontal so that their advanc ing edgesare immediately ad acent' the surface of the street or other surface upon which the material is lying.

Another object consists in arranging the digging arms so that the material which has been dug is, at the point of discharge, fed

7 upwardly at an angle by the digging element's themselves.'-

Another object consists in providing an improved form of digging elements which includes means for cutting, sawlike, under neath the material to be carried away, as well chains which 'carry the digging with'means for supporting and guiding them .as means for digging into andmoving the material. I

Another object consists in providlng the elements in a true course both vertically and horizontally.

Another object consists in, providing means for withdrawing the digging ele- .ments within the path of travel of their carrying chains in order toscrape the mate:

rial from said elements, together with means for scraping the adhering material oil" the,

chains, so that the entire load carried by the elements' 'may be fed to the loading'mecha- V nism.-- e p An'O'therobJect conslsts-in providin anarrangement whereby means, separate om is represented in the e, 1922. Swan... 582,819. 1

pelling it, steering it and driving the mechanism, said arrangement being such that the mechanism may be continuously actuated no matter what the relative position of the propelling means and the machine.

Another object consists in providing for ad'ustability of theseveral parts in order "to en ance its operative features ofjvalue.

Another object consists in providing cer tain improvements .in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts where-' by the above named and other objects may" be effectively attained. y

A practical embodiment of the invention ings in which Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the 1 machine and ing it. Fig.

part of the truck for propell- 2 represents a .plan view thereof.

4 being removed. Fig. 4 represents a front view thereof. Fig. 5 represents a vertical :central section therethrough.

Fig. 6 represents a detail plan view, partly accompanying. draw.'

Fig. 3 represents a rear view thereof, parts in section,showing part of the framing and v drive mechanism.

Fig. -7 represents an enlarged detail plan arms. I

Fig. 8 represents a section taken in the plane of the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7, lookm in thedirection of the arrows.

' ig. 9 represents, on the same scale, a side elevation, partly broken away, of the digging I arm shown in Fig. 7. I

Fig. 10 represents, on thesame scale, a

, top plan view of one of the digging arms and. connected parts.

Fig. 11 represents, on the same scale, a transverse section taken in-the plane of the line XIXI of Fig. 10 looking .in the direction .of the arrows. Fig. '12 represents-an enlargeddigging arms. N

Fig. 13 represents, in the same scale, a detail same.

5 (Fig. 6)" which consists of longitudinal members 1, 2 that are composed of suitable '85 view, partly-in section, of one of the digging material, such as wood or metal, and fl1'- granged inV formation. At the apex, these me here are firmly secured together by cro d plates 3, d and, intermediate their ends, by cross bars 5, 6. In the separated ends ofv the members 1, 2, there is mounted at 7, 8 a dead axle 9 which has wheels 10, 11 on its protruding ends. These wheels serve for the support and movement of the machine as a whole.

The body framing of the machine (F1gs. 1 and 2 includes two main side members 12, 13 w ich may conveniently be composed of timber; and two independent side members 14, 15. The members 12, 13 are spaced from the members 13, 15 both in a vertical and horizontal direction. The independent members 14, 15 are secured to each other b cross bars 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and bars 1 and21 are extended so as to connect members 12 and 13 with members 1 1 and 15. The cross bar 21 is a stout'one and is calculated to rest upon the axis 9 with thememhere 12, 13 lying above the said axle and the members 14:, 15 lying therebelow. As a result of this arrangement, the framin just described has, in effect,- a bifurcate end which is supported upon the axle 9 with the framing projecting rearwardly and upwardly in an angular direction.

The framing also includes a pair of top members 22, 23 which are sup orted from the members 12 and 13 by uprights 2d, 2d, 25, 25, 26, 26, 27, 27. The forward ends of the top members 22, 23 are connected by a cross piece 28, while diagonal braces 29, 29, 30, 30 and a cross brace 31 serve rigidly to hold the parts. 1

A. pair of arms 32 32 (Figs. 1 and 5) are bolted to the uprights 27, 27 and project forwardly. Another pair of arms 33, 33 are also secured to the uprights 27, 27 and project forwardly therefrom below the arms 32, The free ends of the arms 32, 32 are boredto form bearings for pivot pins 34, 34 which constitute supports and pivots for the upper connection of the digging arms.

The two digging arms are identical so that only one will be described in detail, reference being had to Figs. 7 to 11. The arm includes an ofpen frame-work which may be composed 0 material and consists of top members 35, 36, 37, 38 and bottom members 39, 40, which top and bottom members are secured to each other by vertical bars 41, 42, 48, dd. A plate is secured to the bottom members 39, 4.0 and projects forwardly, its free end being provided with a bearing 46 that receives the end of a shaft 47, the upper end of which is fitted in a bearing 48 that is secured to the top members 36, 37. Another,

shaft 49 has its upper end journaled in a bearing 50 that is secured to the top members 36, 37 and its lower end journaled' in another bearing 51 that is attached-to the wood or other suitable,

inner ends of the members 39, 30. The bearing 51 has a projection 51 that is rotatably mounted in the arm 33, as clearl shown in Fig; 11.. The bearing 50 has ottset lugs 52 t at are bored to received the pivot pin 34:. As already indicated, it is the inter-engagement of this pin and arm 32, together with the inter-engagement of projection 5130i! bearing 51 and arm 33, that constitutes the connection between the digging arm and the machine as a whole, while also providing aivot upon which the dig ing arm may be a justed, when desired in t e use of the machine. As a result of forming the upper bearing for the pin 34; in the lugs 52 which are offset from the bearing 50, the said pin has its axis at an angleto the axis of the shaft 49 and, as the pin 34; and the part 51 of bearing 51 which enters arm 33, are in vertical alignment, the shaft 49 is at an angle to the vertical so as to hold the digging arm as a whole tilted with its transverse axis at an angle to the horizontal and its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, as clearly shown in the drawings, the tilting of the arm bein so arranged as to bring its inner or forward edge closer to the ground or surface upon which the material is resting, than is the remainder of the arm. This enables the advancing edge of the cutting elements to dig into or out under the material in an advantageous manner and also clears the way, durin the advancin movement of the arm, for at er parts of t ea which project from its bottom, such, for instance, as the mountings or bearings for the shafts t7 and 49.

Pairs of sprockets 53 and 5d are fixed on the shafts t7 and 19 respectively between the'upper and lower surfaces of the digging arm, and are surrounded b a sprocket chain 55 which carries the igging elements proper, and is covered with plates 55* (Figs, 8 and 11) except where the elements project therethrough. Each element consists of two angular arms 56 which swing on a pintle 57 of the sprocket chain and have a broad concave face blade 58 adapted to dig into and carry along the material. The curve of each blade 58 corresponds to an are having as its center a pintle 57 so that as the blade the chain immediately below the lower ed e of the concave face 58. The knife 59 1s sharp and ointed, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, and is irably designed to cut into and under the material which lies close to the surface such, for instance, as a layer of ice formed. on a street surface The knives 59 are fixed in position on the sprocket chain 55 so as to always protrude from the outside of the digging arm as a whole and to operate somewhat after the mannerof a saw cut owing to the intervening spaces between the knives. The digging blades 58 are adapted to be projected and retracted from the outer surface of the chain as the operation of the device may require. To this end, I provide a pair of earns which are carried by the vertical bars 41, 42, 43, 44, and are tapered on their rear sides from their free ends inwardly so as to be wider adjacent the advancing end of the digging arm and narrower near the point where the digging arm is attached to the machine as a whole. In addition to the cams 60, I mount a box cam 61 on the shaft 49, which box cam cooperates with the cams 60 in actuating the digging elements 56. Each of the said elements 56 is provided with a pair of rollers 62 which engage the periphery of the cams 60 and travel in the groove formed in the box 'cam 61. As a result of thisarrangement, it will be seen that the cams 60 prevent the digging elements 56 from swinging inwardl about their pivots 57 more than a pre etermined distance, while the box cam 61 serves positively to draw the said elements inwardly with respect to the outer surface of the chain 55. The arrangement of this cam is such that, as clearly shown in Fig. 7 the elements 56 are projected to the utmost at the time they pass around the forward end of the arm so that they may dig as deeply as possible into the material. The digging elements are then maintained in extended position as they move inwardly toward the loading mechanism (to be hereinafter described) -but, after the material carried by the said elements is in position to be deposited upon the loading mechanism, the box cam 61 comes into action and withdraws the elements until they are entirely housed within the chain 55. This condition exists just as or before each element passes the loading mechanism. As already indicated, this inward swinging movement of the digging elements takes place with their curved faces in sliding contact with plates 55* on the chain 55, thereby positively removing the material from the digging elements. Furthermore, this housing of the digging elements within the surface of the chain permits the latter to be acted upon by a scraper (to be hereinafter described) which constitutes part of the loading mechanism, in such manner as to insure the removal of all the material from the chain. Subsequently, the earns 60 gradually move the digging elements outwardly until they reach their fully extended osition just before arriving at the outer or igging end of the advancing arm.

The point at which the digging elements should be withdrawn by the cam 61 will vary slightly according to the angular adjustment of the digging arm about the pivot 34, since the said angular ad ustment will slightlyvary the relationship of the digging elements to the loading mechanism. In order to accomplish this result, I mount the box cam 61 so that it can be rotatably adjusted about the shaft 49, and provide a latch 63 which is secured to the cam 60 at 64, and has a finger fitted to enter any one of a serles of recesses 65 formed in the cam 61. By this mechanism, the said cam may be locked in the desired adjustment about the shaft 49 and hence come into operation at difierent stages in the travel of the digging elements 56. It is not necessary thus 7 to withdraw the. cutting knives 59, since they are located near the bottom of the diggm arm, and are ver thin so as to pass un er adjacent parts 0 the loading mecha- I msm.

In order to prevent the sprocket chain 55 from sagging, I provide it with a series of rollers 66 which travel upon tracks 67 secured to beams 68 that are fastened to the to members 35' and 38. Another series of ro lers 69 are mounted at the tops of the chain pintles 57 so as to travel'within and adjacent to'a'peripheral flange70 that is secured to the top members 35, 36, 37, 38 and surrounds the digging arm as a whole.

Thus, these rollers 69, in .cooperation with the flan e 7 O, prevent the chain from moving outwar ly at any point a sufiicient distance to move one or more of the rollers 66 off the track 67 and thereby permit the chain to sag at that point.

Means is provided for driving the shaft 49 of each digging arm (Figs. 2, 5 and 6),

which means includes a pair of bevel gears 71, 72 fixed to the shafts 49 and meshing with bevel pinions 73 that are carried on the ends of shafts 74. The shafts 74 are suitably provided with universal joints 75 and slip joints 76, and the rear portions of said shafts are mounted in bearings 77, 77, 78, 78, and 79, 79 which are fastened to the uprights 25, 25, 26, 26 and plates 8O, 80 which latter are carried by the members 12, 13. Each of the shafts 74 has a sprocket 81 secured thereto while sprocket chains 82 run from said sprockets to other sprockets 83 fixed on the srocket 90 that is drivenby the engine of to truck 93. A manually operable clutch 97 serves to engage and disengage the shaft 84 with and from the source of power in the truck 93. When the clutch 97 is enga ed,

it will be clear that the shafts 49 of the igs gin arms are driven through the chain of mec anism just described and that they, in turn, drive the chains which carry the dig ing elements 56 and 59. By inverting the evel gear 72 (Fig. 2), .the chain of its digging arm is driven in an oposite direction from the chain ofthe other digging arm so that the digging elements will travel in an inward or rearward direction along the innor sides of both digging arms. As previously indicated, the (11g ing arms are mounted in a tilted or angu ar position and are adapted to be swung around their pivots 34 for suitable adjustment. This swinging movement of the igging arms will slig tly change the position of the bevel ears 72 mounted on the shafts i9, and it is t erefore desirable, if not necessary, to allow for comensating bodily movement of the bevel pinions 73 in order to maintain proper meshing of these sets of gears. This movement of the pinions 73 is accomplished by mounting the ends of the shafts 74 to which they are secured, in floating brackets 98 which have bifurcations 99 embracing the shafts 19 while their rear ends have a universal pin and slot connection with the uprights 27, as clearly shown inlfigs, 1 and 5. This pin and slot connection is accomplished by forming a horizontal slot 100 in the tail of each bracket 98 and a-vertical slot 101 in each upright 27. Double headed pins 102 pass through both these slots so as to hold the parts in loose connection.

The loading mechanism may employ any one of the standard elevating conveyin. means such as a belt, a belt rovided' wit cleats, a bucket line, or a flight conveyer, but I prefer to use the latter and have il us-' trated the same in the embodiment of my invention herein shown. Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, it will be seen that the flight conveyer consists of a pair of chains 103 which are provided with the usual cross pieces 101 for carrying the material. These chains are mounted on and driven by sprockets 105 that are carried by shafts 106 journaled in bearings 107 secured to the frame members Suitable flooring 108 is provided within the path of the chains 103 so as to prevent the material from dropping away from the cross pieces 104. This flooring is fixed to and supported by cross bars 18, 19, 20, 21.

The flight conveyer chains 103 are driven through the 'shaft 106 which has one end projecting at the side of the machine and mounted in a bearing 109 carried on a bar 110 that is fast to the cross bars 16 and 18.

A sprocket 111 is fixed on the said. end of the incense shaft 100 and-connected by a chain 112 with another sprocket 119 that is on a short shaft- 114: mounted in a bearing 115 fixed on a suport 110 secured to the side of the framing. he other end of the shaft 114: has a bevel gear-117 .thatmeshes with a similar gear 118 red on the ad acent shaft 74E fromwhich power is derived. for actuating the flight conve%er through the mechanism already descri ed.

ln order to' lead the material from the d gging elements 50, 59 up to the ili ht conveyer, provide a feed board 119 igs. 2, 12 and 13) which is hin ed on a pintle 120 that has its ends mounts in lugs 121 carried be such as to, of themselves, feed the material in an ugward direction as it is passed on to the fee board 119, so that a continuous 1mpulse is imparted to the'material in an upward direction which serves to facilitate its delivery to and full charging of the loading, mechanism and particularly adapts the machine for the advantageous employment of means of the flight conveyer type.

Difierent adjustments of the digging arms will, owing to their angular arrangement, entail a diderent relationship with respect to the feed. board 119 and the latter is, ac cordingly, made adjustable (Fl. 12 and 13) about the pivot 120 by proving it with arms 122 that are riveted to the sides of the feed board, as indicated at 123, and are curved upwardly with their free ends in engagement with bolts 124 that are fixed in brackets125 secured to the uprights 27. The bolts 124lare longitudinally adjustable by means of nuts 126 so as to swing the feed board 119 about its pintle or pivot 120 and thereby keep it in exactly proper relationship with respect to the I i gin arms sons to avoid the escape of material t erebetweem As an additional device for feeding the material onto the feed board 119, ll rovide, on each dig 'ng arm, a circular isc 127 (Fi. 7 an 10), which is, in each case, fine to the shaft d9so as to rotate therewith. The discs 127 are immediately below the cuttin. knives 59 and immediately above the feed card 119. It will 'be clear that these discs serve to assist in forcing the material up onto the feed board and thence to the flight conveyer which forms part of the loadin mechanism,

In t e operation of the device, some of the material may have a tendency to adhere directly to the plates 55* of the chain 55 and be carried along thereby instead of depositing on the feed board 119. In order to eliminate this, It provide a pair of scrapers (Figs.

2, 5 and 10 which consists of boards or plates 128 t at are pivoted at 129 on the lower ends of the framing members 14, 15.

These scrapers project'so that their free ends are adjacent the chains 55, in which position they are yieldingly held by coil s rings 130.

These scrapers are spaced a slig t distance above the cutting knives 59 so that the latter may pass thereunder in their movement, this being permissable owing to the fact that the said knives are so thin that this arrangement does not prevent the scrapers from removing the material from the entire width of the chain. In addition to the function just described, the scrapers serve asside guides for the material which is being forced ulpwardly along the feed board 119 onto t e fii ht conveyer.

11 order to vary the angular adjustment of the digging arms aboutthe pivots 34, I provide reach rods 131 that are freely connected to the digging arms at 132, and have hooks on their rear ends adapted to enter any one of a series of eyes 133 that are screwed in the frame members 12, 13. It will be plain that by hooking these rods 131 in different members of the sets of eyes 133, the degree of angularity of the digging arms with respect to each other will be varied so that the width of their cut or path of operation will, correspondingly, be made wider or narrower. The machine also includes mechanism for feeding the material from the top of the flight conveyer laterally so as to provide for dumping it into a vehicle.

This means is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and consists primarily of a conveyer belt 134. This belt is stretched about pulleys 135, 136 which are mounted in pairs of bearings 137 and 138. Thebearings 137 are held between arms 139 projecting from the outer ends of a pair of side beams 140 and the bearings 138 are mounted on arms 141 which project from the opposite ends of the said beamsl40. The pulley 136 is actuated by a sprocket 142 that is fixed to the end of its axle, which sprocket is connected by achain 143 with another sprocket 144 that is mounted on a shaft 145 which is carried in bearings secured to one of the framing uprights 24 and to additional uprights 146, 147 that are su ported by the framing side members 12 an 22. The other end of the shaft 145 carries a sprocket 148 which is connected by a chain 149 with a sprocket 150 on one of the shafts 74, from which latter power is derived for actuating the belt 134 as just described.

The side beams 140 are provided with a pair of rollers 151 for supporting the upper portion ofl the belt and with a third roller 152 for supporting the lower portion there- 'of. Side boards 153 are carried by brackets 154 uprisin from each side beam 140 in order to retain the material on the belt 134.

The side beams 140 and connected parts are pivoted, as a whole, about an axle 155 that is carried by the uprights 146, 147, so that the cut heights for convenience in loading vehicles. This adjustment is eflected by means of cables 156 that pass through blocks 15.7 I

secured to the side beams 140 and the uprights 146 and 147. The free ends of the cables may be fastened to cleats 158 that are on the said uprights 146 and 147.

I also provide means for adjusting the digging arms and connected mechanism, as

a whole, about their mounting on the axle,

9, which means consists of a cable 159 that asses through block 160 secured to the rame member 2 and side framing member 12. The free end of this cable 159' is intended to be secured to a drum 161 that is fixed on the frame member 2 and may be operated by a crank 162, the drum being provided with a pawl and ratchet, or similar mechanism (not shown). This adjustment not only enables the digging arms to be brought to the proper'level for the intended operation, but enables the same to be lifted a considerable distance above the, ground or street level when the machine is being dragged from one location to another;

It will be clear that the truck 93 not only delivers power to the mechanism, as already described, but forces the machine forwardly into the material. I also proso i vide that the truck may efi'ectively steer the machine and to this end, connect the apex ofthe supporting frame 23 by a swivel joint 163 to the tongue 92 carried on the.

' of the foregoing description, but I may say that it is intended to be pushed forwardly by the truck, with the digging arms set at the desired angle. As the machine is pushed forward, the material will be dug out and carried back onto the feed board, thence onto the flight conveyer and thence onto the lateral feeding belt, from which it will be deposited into a vehicle for carting it away; or, this lateral feed of the belt may simply be for the purpose of'depgsiting the material at one side. Thus, for instance, in attacking a heavy snow fall, the

material may be dug out, carried upwardly and moved laterally so as to be deposited at the sides of the street, thereby rapidly'and thoroughly opening up a central path for the use of vehicular trade. The machine is peculiarly adapted for use in snow removal, since the nives 59 on the chain 55 serve to thoroughly out under or break up any hard layer of snow or ice which may be closely adherin to the street surface, with a saw tooth action. These blades also serve to form, in conjunction with the digging blades 58 proper and plates55 pockets for conveying the material rearwardly to the flight conveyor. In view of the fact that the diggin arms are, as a whole elongated, I am enab ed to obtain a jaw-like entrance into and operation upon the material with the digging blades clawin their wa ahead into the material as they deed it bac to the diht conve or. This not only promotes the eciency of the dig ing arms in actually removing the material, but, to a degree, assists in the forward movement of the machine as a whole. Furthermore, this shape and pivotal mounting of the digging arms gives rise to'an unusual capacity for dig g a path suitable to the conditlons encountered and results which it is desired toobtain, even though the said path be relatively wide with respect to the machine; and also enables them to be swung together for convenient transportin and housing when out 'of o oration. l, t erefore, regard the elongate shape of these digging arms as a feature of material advantage. I a

It, will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction, means for propelling and actuating the machine, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence, ll do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and described, except as they may be included in the claims.

What ll claim is: I

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable .su port, elongated dig ing arms carried there y in V formation, digging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuating the digging elements along the surface of the arms.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, elongated digging arms carried thereby, digging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuating the digging elements alon the surface of the arms, said digging arms Being individually pivoted for horizontal adjustment.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, elongated digging arms carried thereby in V formation, digging and-carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuatin the digging elements along the surface of te arms, sai diggingarms being individually pivoted for horizontal adjustment,

I elongated dig theatres d. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable ,su port, elongated digging arms carried there y in V formation, igging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuatin the diggin elements along the surface of to arms, saioi digging arms being tilted at an angle to the horizontal with their front edges downward.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, elongated digging arms carried thereby, digging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuating the digging elements along the surface of the arms, said di ging arms being individually pivoted for orizontal adjustment and being tilted at an angle to the horizontal with their front edges downward.

6;"An" apparatus of. the character described comprising, a movable su port, ng arms carried there y in V formation, digging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for actuating the digging elements along the surface of the arms, said di "ging arms being individually pivoted for orizontal adjust.- ment and being tilted at an angle to the horirental with their front edges downward.

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, digging arms carried thereby, digging and carrying elements mounted in the arms, and means for conveying the material u wardly away from the diggin and carrying elements, said digging an carrying elements being arranged to feed the material in an upward direction toward said conveying means.

8. An apparatus of the character described comprisin a movable support,

digging arms carried thereby, digging and carryin elements mounted in the arms, means or conveying the material upwardly away from the digging and carrying elemcnts, said di ging and carrying elements being arrange to feed the material in an upward direction toward said conveying means, and a feed board intermediate the digging arms and the conveying means.

9. An apparatus of the character described comprisin a movable support, digging arms carried thereby, digging and carryin elements mounted in the arms, means for conveying the material u Wardly away from the digging and carrylng elements, said digging and carrying elements being arranged to feed thematerial in an upward direction toward' said conveying means, and an adjustable feed board intermediate the digging arms and the conveying means,

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising, -a movable support,

elonga digging arms carried thereby,

. ging elements suported plane ofthe knife. 7 13. An apparatus of the character deof the knife, and means di ging elements mounted in thearms, an

en ess carrier for actuating'the digging elements along the surface of the arms in a substantiall horizontal path, means f or conveying t e material away from the digging arms, and means for removing any adhering material from the endless carrier.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprisin a digging arm, a flexible carrier mounted t erein and a series of digby said carrier, each of said digging elements including a knife rojectin and movable in an approximately or1zont plane. f

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a digging arm, a flex ble carrier mounted therein, a seriesof d1g mg elements supported by said carrier, sac of said digging elements including a kmfe proecting and movable in an approximately ori zontal plane, and a digging blade having its surface in a plane at an angle to the scribed comprising, a digging arm, a flexible carrier mounted therein, a series of dig g elements supported by said carrier, eac of said digging elements including a kn fe projecting and movable in an approximately horizontal plane, a digging blade havin its surface in a plane at an an Is to the p ane series of blades inwardly .and outwardly with respect to the surface of the carrier.

14. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a digging arm, a flexible carrier mounted therein to travel in a path about a substantially vertical axis, digging elements om said carrier, and means connected to the upper art of the carrier for suspending travel. v

15. An apparatus of the. character described comprising, "a digging arm,-a flexible carrier mounted therein to travel in a path about a substantially vertical axis, digging elements on said carrier, and means connected to the upper part of the carrier for suspending it in its normal path of travel, said means including a track and a series of rollers, the one on the arm and the other on the carrier.

16. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a digging arm, a flexi ble carrier mounted therein to travel in a path about a substantially vertical axis, digging elements on said carrier, means connected to the upper part of the carrier for suspending it in its normal path of travel, said means including a. track and a series of rollers, the one on the arm and the othler t 6. said rollers in operative position wit respect to the track.

17. An apparatus of thecharacter deor moving the It in its normal path of,

scribed comprising, a digging arm, a flexible carrier mounted therein, digging elements on said carrier, means connected to the upper part of the carrier for suspend.- ing ,it in its normal path of travel, said means including a track and a series of rollers, the one on the arm and the other on .the carrier, and means for keeping the said rollers in operative position with res ect .to the track, said lastnamed means inc ud- ,a second series of rollers adapted for engagement with a portion of the arm, one series of rollers being disposed to rotate in substantially vertical 'zplanes and theother series being disposed to rotate in substantially horizonhal planes. 19. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a digging arm, a fiexible carrier mounted therein, digging elements on said carrier, means connected to the upper part of the carrier for suspend.

ing it in its normal path-of travel, said means including a track and a series of rollers, the one on the arm and the other on the carrier, and means for keepin the said rollers in operative position with respect to the track, said last named means being disposed in a plane atan angle to the plane I of rotation of the rollers.

.20. 'An apparatus of the character described comprising, a digging arm, a flexible carrier mounted therein, a series of dig ging elements supported by said carrier, and a rotatable disc independent of the diggging elements mounted in said arm beneath said digging elements and adjacent the point w ere the digging elements are de:

signed, to deposit their lead.

21. An apparatus of the. character described comprising, a movable support, a digging arm pivoted thereto, and digging elements mounted in the arm for movement in an endless path, the plane of movement of said elements being at an obtuse angle to the axis of the pivotal mounting of the arm.

22. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, a

digging arm pivoted thereto, digging elements mounted in the arm, mechanism in the arm for actuating the digging elements,

drive mechanism on the movable support,

and a flexible connection between \the drive mechanism and the actuating mechanism.

23. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, a

digging arm. ivoted thereto, di ging elements mounte in the arm, mec amsm n the arm for actuating the digging elements, drive mechanism en the movab e mechanism and the actuating-"mechanism, said flexible connection including a gear mountedin a floating bearing.

24. An apparatus of the character de-' scribed comprising, a movable support, a

.- digging arm carried thereby, digging elements mounted in the arm, a power, shalt carried by the movable support, an inde' pendent unit for propelling, t e machine and providing power to said shaft, said independent unit being connected to the'movable support and to said shaft biy-flexible connections arranged substantial y with each other.

25. An apparatus of the character described comprising, a movable support, a

digging armcarried thereby, digging elements mounted in the arm,an endless carrier for actuatin the digging elements alon the peripheral o the arm, means for with rawiggi mg the ng elements within the carrier with their operative faces in sliding contact with a portion of the carrier in order to remove the material from the elements, and means for removing any adhering material from the endless carrier.

26. An apparatus of the: character described comprising, a movable support, a

digging arm carrled thereby, digging elements mounted in the arm, said digging elements includin digging blades and cutting lmives arrange to operate in planes at an actuating the digging elements alon periphery of the arm, means for with rawsuport,i and a flexible connection between the u:-

v all in alignment team angle to each other, an-endless carrier for means for Withdrawin t e digging elements within the carrierwit their operative faces 'in sliding contact with a portion of the carrier in order to remove the material from the elements, and means for removing a'ny adhering material from the endless carrier.

28. An apparatus of the character described com rising, a movable support, an elongated igging arm carried thereby, digging elements mounted in the arm,-said diing elements including digging blades Ii cutting knives arranged to operate-in planes at an angle to each other, an endless carrier for actuating the digging elements the peri hery of the arm, means for alon withrawing t e digging blades within'the carrier with their operative facesin sliding the till

Oil

contact with a portion of the carrier in order to remove the material from the blades, and meanstor removing any adhering material 'irom the endless-carrier and knives. p p f In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name this I 2nd day of @ctober, 1922. PIERPUNT 1E, BUTCHER. 

